E8-25029. Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Extension:

Rule 12d2-1; OMB Control No. 3235-0081; SEC File No. 270-98.

Notice is hereby given that pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) is soliciting comments on the collections of information summarized below. The Commission plans to submit these existing collections of information to the Office of Management and Budget for extension and approval.

• Rule 12d2-1 (17 CFR 240.12d2-1) Suspension of Trading.

On February 12, 1935, the Commission adopted Rule 12d2-1,^[1] under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78b et seq.) (“Act”), to establish the procedures by which a national securities exchange may suspend from trading a security that is listed and registered on the exchange under section 12(d) of the Act.^[2] Under Rule 12d2-1, an exchange is permitted to suspend from trading a listed security in accordance with its rules, and must promptly notify the Commission of any such suspension, along with the effective date and the reasons for the suspension.

Any such suspension may be continued until such time as the Commission may determine that the suspension is designed to evade the provisions of section 12(d) of the Act and Rule 12d2-2 thereunder.^[3] During the continuance of such suspension under Rule 12d2-1, the exchange is required to notify the Commission promptly of any change in the reasons for the suspension. Upon the restoration to trading of any security suspended under Rule 12d2-1, the exchange must notify the Commission promptly of the effective date of such restoration.

The trading suspension notices serve a number of purposes. First, they inform the Commission that an exchange has suspended from trading a listed security or reintroduced trading in a previously suspended security. They also provide the Commission with information necessary for it to determine that the suspension has been accomplished in accordance with the rules of the exchange, and to verify that the exchange has not evaded the requirements of section 12(d) of the Act and Rule 12d2-2 thereunder by improperly employing a trading suspension. Without Rule 12d2-1, the Commission would be unable to fully implement these statutory responsibilities.

There are ten national securities exchanges that are subject to Rule 12d2-1. The burden of complying with Rule 12d2-1 is not evenly distributed among the exchanges, however, since there are many more securities listed on the New York Stock Exchange, Inc., the NASDAQ Stock Market, and the American Stock Exchange LLC than on the other exchanges.^[4] However, for purposes of this filing, the Commission staff has assumed that the number of responses is evenly divided among the exchanges. There are approximately 1,500 responses under Rule 12d2-1 for the purpose of suspension of trading from the national securities exchanges each year, the resultant aggregate annual reporting hour burden would be, assuming on average one-half reporting hour per response, 750 annual burden hours for all exchanges. The related costs associated with these burden hours are $41,625.00.

Written comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Consideration will be given to comments and suggestions submitted in writing within 60 days of this publication.

Comments should be directed to: Lewis W. Walker, Acting Director/Chief Information Officer, Securities and Exchange Commission, C/O Shirley Martinson, 6432 General Green Way, Alexandria, Virginia 22312 or send an e-mail to: [e-mail].

Dated: October 15, 2008.

Florence E. Harmon,

Acting Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 98 (February 12, 1935).

2.  See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 7011 (February 5, 1963), 28 FR 1506 (February 16, 1963).

3.  Rule 12d2-2 prescribes the circumstances under which a security may be delisted from an exchange and withdrawn from registration under section 12(b) of the Act, and provides the procedures for taking such action.

4.  In fact, some exchanges do not file any trading suspension reports in a given year.